Gun Control Issues in America - Essay Example

?Gun Control Inserts His/ Her Inserts Grade Inserts (05, 04, Outline Introduction 2. Guncontrol 3. Conclusion Gun Control 1. Introduction Gun control has become a major debate between the authorities and the regulatory authorities. The ownership of a gun in the United States of America applies as an individual’s right, if kept for self defense. Different views about gun control translate to the different opinions that diverse people hold about their American dream. While some legislatures promote gun controls, others oppose gun control with the view that people should not bear firearms because of incidents of improper use. There are strict measures to control the use of guns. This paper will analyze gun control among the Americans in relation to the rights of the individual to own a gun. 2. Gun Control Winkler (16) mentions that, the rights to own a gun became integral in the American population when the white settlers required protection to guard self from attacks from unknown armies, animals and Native Americans. The justification was that Americans has a responsibility to protect themselves. Moreover, guns were used for hunting which is a sport culture in the country. Firearms are categorized into handguns, long guns and automated guns. Handguns include pistols and weapons that can be used with one hand. Long guns are specially manufactured for hunters to engage in sport. Automated guns and semi automated guns are perceived to be a preserve of the military. Automatic and semi automatic guns as well as rifles are registered by those possessing them. Dealers of the automatic guns must be licensed. The purchase of machine guns is a preserve of the military and is costly since they are scarce. The long guns are not considered as weapons for crime but for sport. However, reports show that the long guns have been used for suicide in some instances. Handguns are commonly used to commit crime. Proponents of use of guns argue that groups conducting gun control describe the different types of firearms with a motive to discriminate certain guns as unsafe for the public. Gun control activists are tent to discourage and disapprove the use of automatic guns for personal defense. Citizens in some states are allowed to own semi automatic guns. Some citizens have gone to the extent of improving the semi automatic machines so that they may resemble the automatic gun. The manufacturers of firearms claim that over a third of the guns are hand guns. The number of casualties resulting from use of fire arm for crime is very high in the United States. Many citizens believe that the guns act as security for them if they show it for defense when there is a possible attack. Many citizens claim that they have used handguns for self defense for self defense especially at their residence and at work. The guns can be used to scare away trespassers in the home place. Thieves breaking into homes can be chased away with hand guns (McClurg et al, 101). Guns are also used to capture criminals by wounding them if they are armed. Criminals who are aware that that those they attack is armed fail to proceed if they learn that they are armed as Kleck (34) mentions. Studies conducted reveal that population with access to firearms is likely to commit homicide that populations without crime. The high number of murders recorded in the United Sates is blamed on the large number of civilians owning guns. Consequently, Americans who witness an attempted or completed armed attack is very large. Prisoners serving a jail term confess having an armed firearm when they were conducting the crime (Lott 78). Kleck (39) mentions that several states in America recommend that guns be kept without loading. When selling guns, dealers ensure that the citizen has the correct reasons for obtaining a gun. The guns should not be given to people who pose a threat to the public population. The certificate and license for ownership of arms dictates the number of ammunitions and firearms that citizens are allowed to keep. Guns can be owned by individuals who have good intent such as sporting and self protection and are of sound mind. The military personnel are allowed to have the automatic guns to protect the citizens and self when in an armed attack. The military personnel are adequately trained to use the firearms in the most appropriate manner. Gun control became a major debate concerning whether to avail or restrict fire arms to the American citizens. The argument is concerned with the need to allow the right of bearing the fire arm as provided in the second amendment of the United States Constitution or to transfer the responsibility of providing individual security to the government, through prevention of crime. Since armed criminal decline from using the firearms after recognizing the other has a firearm, it is worth noting that the firearm gives protection and lowers the number of crimes that could occur (McClurg et al, 10). It is estimated that nearly half of the American citizens own a gun. Majority acquire fire arms for self protection while others for sport. The glorification of firearms is seen in popular television series, movies, books, magazines and even music. The constitution gives hunters the right to own and us a gun for sporting. In the past civilians were required to learn how to use a gun and master skills for shooting and aiming as a survival tactic. The states cannot have control the use of guns. The congress has powers to pass laws that will facilitate gun control. The citizens who are licensed to use guns comply with regulations. Every automatic gun is given a serial number that unique. There is a tracking system for identifying the manufacturer and the supplier. Parents are prohibited from handing over the guns to persons bellow the age of eighteen (Weir 99). According to Spitzer (33.), half of the murders committed in the United States are done with the use of hand guns. The cases of use of arms by the civilians have moved from injury to mistakes committed accidentally and the use of arms for suicide. Attempts for gun control began in the twentieth century in 1934 when the National Firearms Act was passes. The act was prohibiting the citizens from using automatic fire arms. There were incidents of crime committed using automatic firearms such the massacre of Saint Valentine. In 1968 the Congress passed the Gun Control Acts. The motivation of the regulation was interested in discouraging criminals from accessing fire to engage in criminal activities, while recognizing the right to own a gun for citizens who abide with the law. The National Rifle Association in early twenty first century was in the forefront to fight for gun rights. National Rifle Association supported increased background supervision on purchased guns. Gun Owners Association was a group that was actively involved in advocating for firearms. Additionally, students formed a group that proposed the preservation of arm free environment in school. The result was establishment of gun free environment which was to eliminate massive cases of shooting in schools. The National Rifle Association has conspicuously fought individual ownership of firearms. They are opposed to exclusion of arms, and further refute regulations that require the citizens to register with the federal authorities if the poses fire arms. Besides, the National Rifle Association disapproves a directive of the government prohibiting selling and buying of fire arms among citizens. The National Rifle Association members recommend that schools should be guarded by armed security forces (Weir 67). Webster et al (11) add that, scientific institutions concerned with the effect of the right to bear arms revealed that evidence that was available could not establish if the regulations on guns was effective. The United States Supreme Court recognized that according to the second amendment of United States, individual citizens could own firearms if their intention is self defense in their place of residence. Groups that were formed with the intent of advocacy for fire arms have been known to spend more that those proposing gun control. The National Rifle Association has over decades actively engaged in the debate with an aim to fight for the individual’s right to own a gun and has many times won. The supporters in the congress have a majority public support and have to represent the opinion of the people. Some states tend to support gun control while others are in favor of possession of fire arms. For instance, New Jersey and New York tend to advocate for gun control. Regions such as Alaska and Vermont are not thoroughly keen on gun control and may allow citizens to show a weapon in the public without a permit or license. However, such armed weapons are not allowed in bars and restaurants. Majority of the urban population support gun control while the rural population supports the right to bear a gun. The political parties are also actors in gun control. A large number of members of Democratic Party tend to support gun control. The Republican Party has a number of supporters and a number of opposes for the gun control laws. The Libertarian Party does not support gun control. The main issue that causes the gun control debate is if possession of firearms by the citizens stops or causes crime. The second issue is how the second amendment should be interpreted. The other issue is whether it is constitutional to allow citizens to acquire firearms for personal use. The common intention of all the debates has been to establish which situation would be the safest for the public. Moreover, the debate on gun control investigates if the government has the mandate to regulate the fire arms. Baum (79) emphasizes that, this entails considering all the rights that United States of America citizens are entitled to, and comparing them with the gun control regulation to check for mismatch. Whitney (24) adds that, the second amendment of the United States Constitution is translated with a motive to give clarity. When it comes to government gun control the debate revolves around individual’s right to self defense. Security of the members of public is recognized. Finally the other issue is to establish if the policies provided are effective in regulating guns. Public policy emphasizes the importance of security forces in curbing crime. The debate on gun control public policy talks about number of deaths caused by violence and how armed violence can be trimmed down. In an attempt to control guns, the United States government has responded to citizen’s outcry whenever a national tragedy has occurred as Baum (17) mention. The national tragedies have a common characteristic where random public shooting in centers or schools has occurred. The congress has propounded that all guns that are purchased must have a compulsory background check. The check is done on all guns including those purchased for individual use. Bullets that are known as armor piercing are prohibited and those found possessing them can be prosecuted. The congress seeks to pass regulation on weapons of assault by banning them. The congress has increased funding to learning institutions to enable them handle emergencies promptly. Finances towards the services in mental health care have been increased to facilitate treatment for the youth. The ban on assault weapon was passed by the congress in 1994. It was a major success for proponents of gun control. This ban affected the manufacturers of weapons that had features of assault. The expiry of the ban was in 2004. Efforts to renew the ban in the Congress have proved futile. The bill was supported by the Democrats. Members of the Democratic Party in the Congress when the bill was passed argue that their support for the bill cost them. Consequently, some members of the Democratic Party joined others in rejecting regulation for firearms. The United States requires a substantive background check using increased data checks when making sales for fire arms. Furthermore, United States government has commissioned institutions to conduct research on the use of guns. Efforts are made to prevent violence. The police and all the law enforcement organs have been empowered to prosecute those who commit crime using guns. Public opinion reveals that citizens advocate for gun control. The citizen’s desire is that violence committed with firearms should be reduced. Likewise, there is need to educate the public how to respond when incidents of firearms violence occur. This education is important to the youths in school and members of public. There is need to know how to respond to active armed gangs. The penalties and punishment for the buyers or retailers of guns who sell it to criminals should be augmented. Citizens are willing to support the reinstatement of laws that propose a ban of the assault weapons. Magazines that are concerned with the sale of ammunition can be not forbidden from presenting those with ten ammunitions. Treating the mentally ill is seen as the better way of eliminating mass shouting committed by the mentally ill, other than prohibiting semi automatic weapons (Lott 8). 3. Conclusion The debate on whether citizens can own guns has lived long. Guns are used for self protection and sporting. When used appropriately guns are not unsafe. It is important that such measures to screen and provide assistance for the mentally ill be assisted. Background screening will ensure that those allowed to own a gun have good intentions for use. Eliminating guns may not be the solution for crimes that have happened. Educating the public on best ways to respond to armed attacks as well as preventing armed attacks is the effective way of overcoming wrongful use of the firearms. Works cited Baum, Dan. Gun Guys: A Road Trip. New York: Knopf, 2013.Print. Kleck, Gary. Targeting Guns: Firearms and Their Control. New Jersey: Aldine Transaction, 1997. Print. Lott, John R. More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2010. Print. Malcolm, Joyce Lee. Guns and Violence: The English Experience. Harvard: Harvard Press University, 2004. Print. McClurg, Andrew J., Kopel, David B., and Denning, Brannon. Guns Control and Guns Right: A reader and Guide.New York: NYU Press, 2002. Print. Spitzer, Robert J. The politics of Gun control. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers. 2011. Print. Webster, Daniel W., Vernick, Jon S., and Bloomberg, Michael R. Reducing gun violence in America: informing policy with evidence and analysis. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013. Print. Weir, William. A Well Regulated Militia: The battle over Gun Control. Archon Books, 1997. Print. Whitney, Craig. Living with Guns: A Liberal's Case for the Second Amendment. Public Affairs, 2012. Print. Winkler, Adam. Gunfight: The battle over the right to bear Arms in America. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2011. Print. Read More